Letter Home
by malkavius30
Summary: Dusty writes a holiday letter to his mom.
1. Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

Just got your gift package. And I'll be sure to share all the goodies with those in my squad bay. To tell you the truth, that package brightened a lot of moods. The holidays can be gruesome around here. Some of the troops are not able to go home for the holidays. For example, you remember I told you about Lifeline. His dad disowned him when he joined the army. Yet if it wasn't for Lifeline, a lot of guys wouldn't be here today, myself included. As a medic, he's got great hands. If he gets his head right, he'd be a damn fine doctor in the private sector. Over the holidays, he volunteers at a local hospital helping nurses with their workload. In the field, he's the guy who's out there busting his hump making sure everybody comes back alive. Even though he doesn't brandish a weapon he still fights with death. And when someone dies, he's the one that hurts the most. I don't say this much, but in my book, Lifeline's a real hero.

Take a walk with me Mom as I mosey over to the mess for a cup of coffee. I can hear pots and pans clanging in the kitchen area. It seems Roadblock is having another fit with the kitchen staff. He and Gung Ho have never agreed with the Armed Forces policy on outsourcing kitchen help. They say it compromises too much security. I just think they are afraid of the competition. In order to settle things, General Hawk approved a compromise. Roadblock would still be in charge of the mess with Gung Ho as his second, but the outsourced staff would report directly to him. Roadblock is currently throwing a fit right now about a ruined hollandaise sauce and how someone else's roux is not thick enough. He's always a perfectionist in the kitchen. And that's a good thing. We never miss one of his meals. Recently, I found out that us Joes are not the only ones that benefit from Roadblock's cooking. Shockwave & Mutt were on patrol in the city, when Junkyard picked up a scent. They followed it to a homeless vet shelter where they found Roadblock inside serving chow. He told them to keep it on the qt, but good news like that is hard to contain, specially when it reaches the ears of General Hawk. So orders came down that all Joes not on active duty were to report for mess duty at the homeless shelter. Scarlet, Lady Jaye and Cover Girl even volunteered extra food supplies from a few local markets. Those women sure have a way with fundraisers, Mom.

I have some more news about Gung Ho, Mom.It seems that he's found himself a little mess cook to chase after. During the interview process, Roadblock instructed the new recruits to create a dishes according to their station. One female souse chef created a dish of crawfish et-tu-fe that brought a tears to Gung Ho's eyes. The girl asked if something was wrong with the dish.Gung Ho said cheerfully, "Not at all chere, it just reminded me of my momma's cooking back home." Needless to say she got the job and Gung Ho is now first in line when it's her night to cook.

Cover Girl has just joined me for a cup of coffee. You remember her Mom. She the girl that looks like a super model. Right now she's unwinding with a cup of coffee after some harassment she's received in the motor pool. (Secretly I think she enjoys the attention.) She says Clutch is at it again, hitting on any female he can. Say what you want about him being a horn dog, Mom, but when the going gets tough, Clutch can get you out fast. We were on a mission once where we found ourselves pinned down behind enemy lines. Cobra was lobbing mortar rounds all around us and their snipers were picking us off ever time we tried to return fire. Everybody was scared. Our only mode for escape was an old duce and a half that was in worse shape than Uncle Toms Ford. That deuce was shot up, banged up and leaking fuel like seive. But Clutch some how got it patched and got is out of there asap. Say what you want about him being a nuisance, but I'm glad to serve with him.

General Hawk just walked in Mom. He says Merry Christmas. He's a very unique officer. He maybe top brass on the outside, but deep down he's a Joe just like the rest of us. He's not like other officers that I've served under, that just sit in the rear barking orders. He & Duke always lead by example and supports us 100 percent. On many occasions, Joes were in situations where other brass would write us off as casualty of war, but not General Hawk. Hawk would be the first on the tarmac starting up a chopper or a plane to bring his boys home. And believe it or not, we would do the same for him.

Well Mom, time to wrap this letter up. General Hawk, has called a team meeting. You know what that means. Time to go to work. I'll write again soon. Give everybody my love.

Ronnie


	2. Dear Mom part 2

As always, this is a story of fiction. Any resemblance to any person alive or dead is purely coincidental. Also I do not own GI Joe or rights to their characters. I'm just writing a story involving their characters. Thank you.

Dear Mom,

Well, we made it back. Right now I'm in the infirmary recouping from the last mission. Don't get to worried Mom, all my body parts are still here. I was shot in the arm and received a couple pieces of shrapnel in the leg but I'll survive. Lifeline was here checking up on my dressings. He couldn't stay long, because he & Stretcher (another Joe Medic) are so busy directing nurses and medical staff to handle other patients. Right now the have an infirmary is full of Joes. Our last mission was real screw up. One of our own is in the Emergency OR right now. Please say a prayer for Beach Head. I know Cover Girl has come in at least 3 times already. She says she's checking up on me and a few others, but I know better. She's real worried about Beach. Army nurses keep telling her the doctor is doing the best he can. All we can do is wait and pray. If it wasn't for Beach, one of our green shirts would be going home in a box instead of facing the wraith of General Hawk. Our unit was coming out of a tree line, when this kid absent mindedly set off a claymore. Beach heard the click of the detonator and tackled the kid to safety while taking part of the blast to the back. Wild Bill medi-vac'd Beach back to base where doctors have been working on him since. Were all hoping Beach will pull through.

Shipwreck is in the bed next to me, recouping as well. His unit was ambushed in the swamps while doing an amphibious assault. He was attacked by some of Croc-Master's pets and was lucky enough to survive. Shipwreck is alright guy. Sometimes a horn dog right up there with Clutch when it comes to women. But in a fight, he'll stand his ground. Specially in knife fights. Right now, he's spinning some tale to a pretty nurse about a scar he got in a knife fight years ago in the Philippians with thirty men. It's not that I don't doubt the event occurred, it's just I doubt the amount of people involved.

Lady Jaye also has stopped by to brighten our spirits. She told me how Flint, her, Duke and Scarlet are all planning to go out for New Years Eve. Cover Girl is still here pacing about. I suggested to Lady Jaye, that she take Courtney out with them tonight. God knows how she needs a night out. Lady Jaye said she'd think about it. I know what your thinking Mom. But I'm still confined to the infirmary. Plus it wouldn't be good for one woman to go out with a wounded man when it's reminding her of another one. If she doesn't stop pacing, I'll have Snake Eyes knock her out or something. Lifeline finally got smart and had Law & his dog Order escort her back to the motor pool. Foolish girl. Doesn't she know that worrying over Beach, ain't going to make him heal faster. Yet try telling her that.

Leatherneck and Wet Suit are in a few beds over, playing cards. Both keep yelling at each other about whose cheating who. Those two; if you separate them they complain, if you keep them together they complain. They are a regular odd couple. In my opinion Mom, they are the two Joe's I'd least like to be paired with again. In past missions with both of them, and I wasn't sure who I was fighting more. Cobra, or those two numbskulls.

It seems that this current argument almost turned into an all out brawl, if General Hawk didn't order them to pipe down. He came in to check on the wounded and found the two knuckle heads acting up, again. In tail with General Hawk is Stalker. I doubt you've ever meet him, Mom. Stalker served with Snake-Eyes in Vietnam. After that he bounced around from military post to military post training special forces troops and young recruits. Out of uniform, he's an alright Joe who likes to party, but when he's on the job, he's all business. A few years ago, Stalker and I were giving demonstrations to new recruits on desert survival. One of the cherries, as we call them, started cutting up during lecture. Stalker simply walked over, grabbed him by the shirt collar and drug him out away from the group. Next time I saw the kid, he was very respectful to me and apologized for disrupting my course. Later I found out that Stalker ran the kid all day and all night in full gear. When the kid would fall down, Stalker was there kicking his ass all the way. And he didn't lighten up, Mom, that's the type of guy Stalker is. He does what he does not only to be a real hard ass, but also to keep others alive.

General Hawk just asked Lifeline how soon Wet Suit and Leatherneck can return to active duty. Lifeline said their wounds were not too bad, possibly tomorrow they could be released. General Hawk turned to Wet Suit and Leatherneck said, "Listen up you two. Once your cleared from here, report to Stalker for special training." I'm sorry Mom, but I couldn't help but smirk at the General's order. As he was leaving, General Hawk looked at me and Shipwreck. "Same goes for you two as well. Once your healed, report to Stalker." And with that, they both left. Shipwreck and I gave each other that look of "What in the hell did we do?" Needless to say, we will be reporting to Stalker in a few days, if not more, depending on how soon Lifeline releases us. Well got to wrap this up. I'll write again Mom and let you know how Beach Head is doing.

Love,

Ronnie

PS: I almost forgot. Happy New Year to you. Try not to have too much fun on the Strip.


End file.
